Spark Coach

Monday, July 09, 2018

During a hiatus from Spark several years ago, I received an email about a free trial for Spark Coach and thought, 'let me get back on there and try again.'

It was a turning point for me that helped me finally reach my goal weight, five years ago i think?

I committed to baby steps... at least 10 minutes of activity every single day and not cutting out foods but rather slowly cut back on portion sizes and indulging here and there instead of every day, every meal.

For several months recently, I've hovered just above goal weight but I learned not to stress, going up a pound or two after some unhealthy food choices is a big accomplishment for me as opposed to the 3 -5 pounds a week I'd gain and then give up totally.

I got back into Spark Coach a couple weeks ago and it's helping me again.

One of the videos on Spark coach recently talked about reframing. Instead of thinking "one step forward, two steps back" I am now looking at derailments as "two steps forward, one step back". I may slip up but I now get right back on the horse immediately.

I make healthy decisions more than unhealthy decisions.

This past week, I agreed to meet my running group at the local Arboretum on the 4th of July. It was tough getting up early, almost went back to bed, but I made it and felt accomplished when I was done.

The arboretum is a beautiful place to walk, run or ride a bike. I was reminded of the Jessica Smith Walk and Talk video about Lessons Learned From Nature.

I stuck with a woman training for the Chicago marathon. She was a bit chatty, in a good way, and kept my mind occupied from the distance.

I had planned on 5 1/2 miles but missed my turnaround and made it to 7 1/4 miles and I felt good, very challenged, don't get me wrong, but I felt accomplished and powerful!

When I got home, I took my yoga mat, lemon water and Yoga With Adriene video outside. It was a great stretching video, ending with four minutes of meditation.

That was a nice bonus as I have set an intention for July on the Spark Yoga team to be more consistent in meditation. I have a hard time sitting still and letting it go. It felt AMAZING outdoors on a sunny, blue-sky morning!

Today is a hitting-the-reset-button day after yesterday's indulgences during a motorcycle road trip with DH to some fun spots.

No stress today over indulging yesterday. I'm back on track today ready for a healthy week.

Spark Coach and baby steps have put me on a path to health and wellness I never thought I'd find. Progress, not perfection!

MARYJEANSL
The biggest way that SP has helped me is to let me know that one slip up isn't the end of the world, that I need to forgive myself and move on. Now I know that the only way to fail is to quit trying, and I will never quit trying.201 days ago

FERRARIFITNESS
Seems we often forget how easy it is to put the weight on and how much harder it is to take it off. As it usually takes time to put it on, why would we expect it to come off in a shorter time frame? I write often on the subject of diet and if you are looking for a fresh perspective, with a bit of humor, check out this post on my blog, Fiftyfierce.com:

https://www.fiftyfierce.com/single-post/2017/04/16/How-Do-You-Diet-For-a-Reason-a-Season-or-a-Lifetime202 days ago

NOLAHORSERIDER
Well done. Congratulations. My baby steps are to continue doing the exercises to bend my knee and straighten it after surgery. Then to stop being lazy and start cooking again to get a few more pounds off. I used to ride a 1300 Honda motorcycle. It broke my heart to sell it because I now have arthritis in my thumbs and can't break nor gas it. But the woman that bought it keeps me updated on her trips etc.

Nothing like going for a ride on the bike. DH has a Honda Trike and it is nice to do road trips.

DITZY711
Your determination is inspiring! Thanks for the encouragement of getting right back up after a day of improper choices in meals or exercising. My baby step is to go back to gym and walk on the treadmill!204 days ago

AQUAGIRL08
Congratulations on all of your progress! My baby steps are recovering from three major surgeries and a spinal break and working my way back to doing an exercise class twice a week. Together we achieve more!204 days ago

FUNLOVEN
Decided to do some cruising through SP tonight and sooooo glad I did 'cuz look what I found - YOU!

You have been in maintenance for so long now that you are truly the exception to the statistics about regains. Good job on those small steps to success. Every once in a while I check into Spark Coach, but right now I'm following along with Linda Spangle's newest book on the 100 DWL Team.

I have struggled this past week and just today I decided to take a step back, slow myself down, and refocus. The small steps I took today were to eat 3 healthy meals and get some exercise. Was planning on some Elliptical time at the Y , but forgot about their new summer hours so they were closed when I got there. Didn't let that stop me though. Home to pick up the dog for a nice walk!222 days ago